Ferdinand Sauers was born on September 13, 1895. Before enlisting in the National Guard in July 1917, Sauer had made two previous attempts to enlist in the navy. The first attempt was in 1915, but at that time he weighed only 110 pounds, was but 5 feet in height, and was rejected. In April, 1916, with several other Washington companions he tried to enter the navy at Baltimore; but was again refused. After the registration of June, 1917, he came back to Washington and told his father he had decided to enlist rather than be drafted, and accordingly enlisted in the District National Guard in July and a few months later he was on the firing line in France. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I as a Private in Company A, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. He was Killed in Action on February 8, 1918 at the age of 22 and is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.